


Morning at the Museum

by momtaku



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:32:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8843086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momtaku/pseuds/momtaku
Summary: “Morning, Erwin,” Levi said quietly, glancing up at the familiar face set in stone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Contains spoilers through chapter 86.

The sound of the turning bolt rang loudly in the pre-dawn quiet as Levi pushed open the heavy door. He ignored the light switches as he entered the room. Electricity was now common in Eldia, but Levi still preferred the soft glow of his lantern over the harshness of electric light.

He’d long ago been convinced to stop coming in at odd hours to clean, but no one had the heart or audacity to stop these early morning visits. He dropped his satchel at the base of the statue, and went to retrieve a chair from the far end of the large domed room. He dragged the chair next to the statue and sat down.

“Morning, Erwin,” he said quietly, glancing up at the familiar face set in stone. The statue had been a gift from the Reeves Corporation, made along with donations from the citizens of Trost. It depicted Erwin as they last remembered him, standing tall and resolute atop the wall the morning of that last expedition to Shiganshina.

Posthumously, praise had been heaped upon the Commander. The Erwin Smith Foundation where Levi now sat, was powerful evidence of that. But during Erwin’s lifetime, demonstrations of appreciation had been few and far between. When the crowd had appeared and cheered before their departure, Levi had scoffed, but now that memory, as well as Erwin’s shocked but delighted expression, was something Levi cherished.

The statue of the 13th Commander stood in the center of the rotunda. Surrounding it were murals depicting the history of the walled world. Elegant framed portraits, including those of Historia, Ymir, Armin and Eren were on the furthest wall with placards to explain their contributions in the final Titan War. The domed ceiling of the rotunda was a combination of glass and beams. Once the sun rose, natural light would come pouring in.

Despite the grandeur of the room, it was the statue that captivated the people entering the foundation building. The expression was so fierce, so commanding, that even the most rambunctious of children would stop and stare. None dared to climb on the statue and most were afraid to even touch it. That was fine by Levi.

But in moments like this, before the chaos of the day, Levi preferred to remember Erwin in quieter times, sitting at his desk with an endless stack of paper and a smile on his lips as he thanked Levi for the tea. “You always seem to know when I need a break,” he’d say. Levi curled tighter into the chair at the memory. He glanced up the statue again and found his voice.

“Kirstein sent you some shit from Marley.” He reached into his satchel and pulled out a letter ostentatiously addressed “From the Office of the Ambassador to Marley.” Levi rolled his eyes at the pretentiousness of the seal and the lettering but he held the envelope out for Erwin to see. “You always said that kid had potential.”

The envelope contained a yellowing map. It was ancient Eldian, judging from the script, and Levi was well familiar with the landmarks. The Marleyan mainland was in the center, with the island of Paradis to the upper right corner. But the names and boundaries of the cities were different from any he’d previously seen. The research department would need to determine where this particular map fit into the history they were trying to piece together.

The letter inside was much less formal. It was handwritten on plain paper.

_Captain,_  
_I thought this would be a nice addition to the Commander’s collection._  
_I hope you are well._  
_-Jean_

It was Hange who had originally agreed with Levi’s request to inspect all artifacts before they were catalogued. She understood, as did he, that the knowledge of this world was Erwin’s first and foremost. Erwin had lived, fought and died so that no Eldian child would grow up without answers to the world around them. They had both worked diligently to preserve his legacy. After Hange’s death, Levi continued alone in the role of curator.

He put the map away and pulled out a second envelope, much simpler than the first.

“A letter from Mikasa,” he tells Erwin. After the war, genealogies had been among the earliest of discoveries, and Levi had been able to trace Mikasa’s exact connection to him. She was a distant relative, but he enjoyed the fragile tie.

“Tch. She’s had another brat,” he says, holding up the photograph of the dark-haired child. “Named this one Fay.” Levi had seen many photographs in the decades since the basement discovery, but the realism never failed to impress him. He turned the picture in his hand, as if expecting the image on the front to continue onto back of the paper.

Mikasa had been active in the early days of the Foundation. She’d wanted to make certain that Eren and Armin would never be forgotten. At first she shared only what she considered to be important facts about their lives. Later, more personal details crept in. Eren’s favorite color had been red. Armin had loved sweets. Armin’s grandfather had taught them the words to forbidden songs. 

Now Mikasa was enjoying a quiet life in the country outside of Stohess. Levi made a mental note to visit her soon. Her oldest brat, the one named Eren, was particularly fond of Levi and had added a drawing on the back of Mikasa’s brief letter. Levi showed it to Erwin.

Levi then pulled out a journal to view the schedule for the day. The tour groups coming in the morning were younger school aged children. Levi no longer did tours himself, but sometimes he’d join groups like this towards the end. He knew the final stop of the tour would delight them. It was a giant relief carving of Eren’s titan form sealing the wall . His giant fossilized ass sticking out of the entrance of Shiganshina never failed to elicit giggles. There was always one child in the group who’d be brave enough to touch it while the others shrieked.

These children would learn about the different titan forms and powers, but they’d be spared the darker knowledge of the world for now. How the power was transferred and what ultimately stopped it would be revealed once they were older.

Levi closed the journal and tucked it away.

Sunlight was beginning to enter the room in earnest, indicating to Levi that his time was up. He braced one hand against the side of the statue as he slowly stood. Levi’s right leg often gave him trouble and he needed a moment to make certain it would hold his weight. He glared up at Erwin as if daring him to mention it. Then his expression softened. “Don’t say it, old man. I already know.” Before letting go of the statue, he gently patted the place where his hand had rested.

Levi returned the chair to its place against the wall, and looked over at Erwin again. Levi had never been fond of formalities. Time and age hadn’t changed that about him. But sometimes at this moment of the day, when the sunlight hit the statue, dappling it with shades of gold and yellow, Erwin seemed to come alive. Levi stood, with one hand behind his back and the other forming a fist over his heart. He’d offered his heart to the man long ago. It was another thing time and age would never change.

He flipped the switch for the electric lights before turning away.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [snkception](http://archiveofourown.org/users/snkception/pseuds/snkception) for reading this over, making suggestions and assuring me it wasn't complete crap. And to my beloved eruris who've been encouraging me to give this fic thing a try.


End file.
